Monthly Archives: February 2017

“Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelations 12:12[1])

In the US Army Advanced Individual Training (AIT) we were constantly told to “know our enemy”. Before going to Vietnam we had to take a course that was called, RVN training (Republic of Vietnam). Its purpose was to teach us specific things about our enemy—the North Vietnam Army and the Viet Cong (short for South Vietnam Communist or “Charlie” as we called them). Then two weeks of RVN training took place. It consisted of learning important military skills like shooting live rounds from your M16 rifle from the hip without bringing it to our shoulder and aiming and how to tell an enemy VC from a farmer at a long distance

During the training that began in Ft. Gordon Ga, we were taught how to recognize a typical VC village. So, they took us to mock VC village. There they showed us how to find weapon stashes, as well how to locate possible places enemy soldiers could be hiding. The Army tried to teach us everything they knew about our enemy in hopes of keeping as many us alive as possible. The more we knew about Charlie the more we could be prepared to defend ourselves and to fight him.The same thing is true about spiritual warfare.

The first thing we need to know is that the Bible says that if you are a follower of Christ you have an enemy.

1 Peter 5

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Again verse 8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

There are two things we’ve got to understand about our enemy, Satan.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.( Ephesians 6:12)

#1- If you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus, Satan hates you and desires to harm you. In fact, he’s not willing to settle for anything less than your complete destruction. He attacks on 3 fronts— physically, mentally and spiritually. He knows that his time is short. Therefore, Satan and all his demons are working overtime to bring as much chaos and fear into our lives that they can . Satan means business. He is not playing games! If only every professing Christian had that much resolves when it comes to winning the world for Christ.

# 2- There’s something else we must understand about Satan. He’s a defeated but lingering enemy.

Hebrews 2
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too [Jesus] shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Jesus’ death and resurrection crushed Satan and set free anyone who chooses to follow Christ. Therefore, the enemy’s power over us is broken. No longer do we have to give into his leading. We have a choice now.

Satan hates you because you’re a born again believer and a friend of God. Why? What have we done to him? Have you done anything to anger him? It’s hate by association. We belong to Christ and hurting us is his way of hurting him. Satan can’t harm God. So he tries to harm his children. And to be effective he must hide his true nature. So, he goes undercover.

2 Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light— a wolf in sheep’s clothing, as it were. We’ve seen too many movies and read too many books about demons. Why, Satan has his TV show called “Lucifer”. The premise is, and I quote from Wikipedia. “The series will focus on Lucifer, ‘who is bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell and resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the beauty of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals”. Just when you think you’ve heard it all.

Satan uses things like this as a diversionary tactic to throw us off. We look for him to appear in typical Hollywood fashion, horns, red skin and hooves. But the Bible says just the opposite. Satan usually takes on the appearance of a friend or in some cases as a mother-in-law… Just kidding.

Because of this, there are things he doesn’t want you to know. Out of Satan’s many best kept secrets, there are Five Things the Devil Doesn’t Want You to Know that tops the list.

#1. You’re a product of divine design. Now, get this. God personally made you on purpose. He made us of his own free will because God wanted us. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Job prayed to the Lord and said,

10 “Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness,
and in your providence watched over my spirit.” (Job 10:10-12)

Psalm 139 Says,

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. [We are wonderful to God]
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

We are bombarded from all side with something called The Theory of Evolution. It’s difficult to watch a nature program without hearing this great lie being espoused. You see it on TV, in Books, movies and magazines. Our kids hear it in school and even many of “Christian” schools teach it.

Why it is so popular to teach evolution but teaching creationism is not? Because to recognize a divine designer is to realize that we answerable to him and one day, at the end of our life, we are going have to an account to God.

2 Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

#2. Now, because you’re created by God you’re an eternal being.

Ecclesiastes 12: 7, “… and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. When God created you in his image, he made you a spiritual being. The Bible says that God breathed into man a living spirit. ‘God breathed’ represent His spirit. He gave a part of Himself that’s eternal.

The theme of the world is ‘Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die.’ or ‘Grab all the gusto you can’ and our society is geared this way. But is that’s not all there is to life?

A depressing hit song in the ‘60’s by Peggy Lee that says,

“I know what you must be saying to yourselves,
if that’s the way she feels about it why doesn’t she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me. I’m in no hurry for that final disappointment,
for I know just as well as I’m standing here talking to you,
when that final moment comes and I’m breathing my last breath,

I’ll be saying to myself.

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is.”[2]

My friend that’s not all there is—to be born, grow old and die. If that’s the case we might as well be dog! We have a living spirit in us that has to answer to God—an eternal part us that will return to Him when we die. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

#3. Another thing Satan doesn’t want you to know is that sin is not it’s cracked up to be. It does one thing and it does it well. Sin destroys lives! Did you know the Bible says sin is fun? But it’s only for a short time. Hebrews 11:25, Speaking of Moses, says, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”

Satan is a great artist. He paints a beautiful picture of sin. He uses the media to camouflage it to make it look appealing. It works and many are drawn in like a moth to a flame until it’s too late. The damage has been done. Lives are broken, hope is gone and peace eludes us.

The Anglerfish is a bony fish named for the characteristic way of they get food. They are a master of disguise. A fleshy growth from the fish’s head acts as a lure. Their prey is drawn to the lure then in a flash it’s captured in their long teeth and eaten.

The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.(Proverbs 5:22)

The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. (Prov.11:19)

The final ultimate end of sin is destruction and ultimately Hell and Satan doesn’t want you to know that. Hell is a very real place but understand this. It wasn’t created for people. God made it as an eternal prison of fire and misery for Satan and all if the angles who rebelled against God. Those who deny the free salvation offered through Christ go there as intruders. You see, there’s no place in Heaven for rebels. They must join the original rebels in an eternal Hell.

#4. The 4th thing the Devil doesn’t want you know is: God loves you very much.

One of the greatest needs in the world today is for people to know they’re loved. To know someone cares for them. Satan wants you to think that you’re on your own and that you’ve got to go out and get by the best way you can. Kill or be killed! Because in the long run you’re the only one that really cares about you, right? WRONG! That is a lie from the pit of hell. It’s no wonder that suicide is the #2 killer of young people ages 15-24. According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute every day an average of 12 teens commit suicide. The average number of teen suicides attempts per year over half a million.[3]

Jesus said this about Satan. “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NIV)

Does God love us? We’ll let’s see what God’s WORD says about it:

1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on u s, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 4:9-10, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

And finally,

#5. Satan doesn’t want you to know that you can have an abundant and purposeful life, that you have a destiny.

People get involved in all sorts of things like drugs, booze, sex, while looking for something more; looking for purpose, fulfillment in their lives. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” It’s a life of quality that begins with Christ and culminates in heaven.

How do we receive life to its fullest? How do we find it? It’s only found in Christ. Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life.” In John 11:25, he said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” and in John 20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Jesus is the source of true life to those who surrender to him and in Jesus you will find purpose—a reason to live.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

How about you?
2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Have you been blinded by Satan? Have you bought into the enemy’s lies? Has he hidden the truth of God from you? Are you missing out because Satan’s secretes?

1-You’re a product of divine creation.
2- You’re an eternal being.
3- Sin destroys.
4- God loves you very much.
5- You can have an abundant and purposeful life.

You can know what it is to have a purpose in life, to have joy and peace if you pray and ask Jesus to take over you life and forgive you of all the wrong you have done. I did it and so have billions of others. Join us.